Related Content

Murphy said Milwaukee is in crisis, quoting local statistics that show heroin and opiate deaths have increased nearly 500 percent between 2004 and 2014.

"Over 888 people have died between 2012 and 2015. It's more than homicides by twice, more than automobile accidents," Murphy said.

So Murphy started doing his own research resulting in an eye-opening report he calls, "888 Bodies and Counting." It has led him to a bold new way to try to fight the problem.

"We received a grant from the Medical College for a partnership," Murphy said.

The grant, WISN 12 News has learned, will allow the city to hire an epidemiologist, someone who studies disease.

The city will also use the money to dig deeper into addiction after someone's initial arrest for drug possession.

"We realize we're all in this together, and we need to look at this as a public health crisis, not just a law enforcement issue. We're not going to arrest people out of this situation. It has to be looked at as a public health epidemic," Murphy said.

One thing that surprised him was the face of the average victim: a 43-year-old white male.

Almost half of the deaths in Milwaukee County were people in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

Murphy said targeting those at risk is key.

"We need to change this momentum. Otherwise, we're going to see too many people in the coroner's office on a Monday morning, where there's four or five bodies," he said.

The grant is for $50,000.

Heroin is found in about 40 percent of local toxicology reports, more than any other drug.